The intersection of Sports & Islam

Barshim vs. Bondarenko: Historic high jump showdown

At the adidas Grand Prix on June 14 in New York, Ukraine’s Bohdan Bondarenko and Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim engaged in what has been called the greatest 1-on-1 high jump showdown in track and field history.

Bondarenko, the reigning world outdoor champion, and Barshim, the world indoor champ and a practicing Muslim, are headed for what promises to be an epic duel at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. In the meantime, they will cross paths at various meets around the globe and put on displays like this: